


Aftermaths (a double drabble)

by songspinner9



Category: Merlin (BBC), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-28
Updated: 2011-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-28 07:14:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/305211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songspinner9/pseuds/songspinner9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: Merlin and his tv show are owned by the BBC.</p><p>Two moments following two tense moments - one of unconditional support and the other<br/>somewhat more conditional and apologetic...(spoilers for episodes 4x08 and 4x09)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermaths (a double drabble)

***

 _After "Lamia"..._

***

Gwen sat down beside him. “Did it work?”

He nodded, straightening up with a wince from where he’d been mixing Gaius’ compound. “They’re all seemingly back to normal.”

She let out an indelicate snort. “They’re horrified at how they behaved, how they treated us.”

Merlin’s reply was forestalled by the knights walking toward them. One by one, they dropped a small, delicate bouquet of wildflowers into Gwen’s lap. The men did not speak, but each bowed slightly to her, and he could tell this was their way of apologizing.

The wordlessness continued as each knight moved away from her in turn and came to kneel in front of him. Percival tentatively held out his own hand and when Merlin nodded, clasped his smaller hand very carefully. When Merlin smiled in acceptance, Leon rose and ruffled the younger man’s hair with a relieved laugh. Gwaine reached out to grip the back of Merlin’s neck and then made a joking show of putting to order the hair that Leon had mussed. Elyan simply took the mortar, pestle, and herbs from him and sat down to complete the task himself.

All the while, Merlin could see Arthur leaning against the house, watching approvingly.

 

***

 _After "Lancelot du Lac"..._

***

The flames were slowly dying as what was left of the little boat he’d made with magic sank at the far side of the loch. Rising from where he’d dropped to his knees, Merlin rubbed a hand over his face, the scents of herbs and flowers he’d chosen clinging to his fingers still. They’d done their job, both to facilitate the spell of release and to honor his friend. He sniffed back tears and made his rather unsteady way back to the forest path.

Gwaine was leaning patiently against his horse when Merlin came to the path that led up to the main road. “Merlin, I’m sorry. I know…I know he was your friend long before I met you.…”

“Can we not talk about it right now?” Merlin’s voice cracked a little, and he walked forward to rest his forehead against the other man’s cloak.

“All right.” He heard Gwaine’s low voice and felt one strong arm come up around his shoulders. “I just didn’t think you should be alone right now.”

When the sun began to sink below the horizon, he was tired enough, body and soul, to let the knight boost him up into the saddle without argument.


End file.
